Conte must ruthlessly axe £18m-rated Spurs "nightmare" vs City, he's a big passenger - opinion

Tottenham Hotspur will be looking to end a run of three straight defeats when they return to Premier League action later this evening but standing in their way are defending champions Manchester City.

The north London outfit have hit a rocky patch under Antonio Conte, conceding seven goals in the same timeframe, and it’s not going to get easier with a trip to the Etihad Stadium.

Last time out, Spurs were defeated at home by Wolverhampton Wanderers and much of their undoing happened within the first 20 minutes as the visitors romped to an early lead.

In the second half, they just could not find a way to break through the Old Gold defence, despite dominating possession (67%) and having ten total shots.

Not only are the Lilywhites struggling defensively but they have seemed lacklustre in the final third in recent weeks and the form of Lucas Moura is particularly concerning.

Across 21 appearances in the top-flight this campaign, the Brazilian winger has only delivered two goals and four assists, with just one of those direct contributions coming in the previous six outings, as per Transfermarkt.

After the defeat to Wolves, journalist Dan Kilpatrick described the 29-year-old as a “passenger” who was “ineffective” once again, before he urged Conte to drop him and try a 3-5-2 formation.

Indeed, this has been a regular occurrence throughout the season and against a team where opportunities will be limited, it seems pointless keeing the faith in the struggling attacker.

Valued at £18m by CIES Football Observatory, Moura has previously been described as a “nightmare” to train against by teammate Eric Dier but performances like that in the English top-flight have been far and few between for a very long time.

Spurs cannot afford to